Until the End
by Sakura9
Summary: Well this is my very first fan fic and it focuses on Garnet mainly. It talks a lot about her past and her struggle to come to terms with it. So plz be kind ^_^


Until the End  
  
A Final Fantasy 9 Fan Fiction  
  
By Maya Nagao (AKA Sakura)  
  
Ok guys this is my first fanfic to please be nice ok? ^_^ To be quite honest I never fancied myself as a fanfic writer and my first piece to be quite honest scares me lol. It starts off pretty straight forward but can be pretty crazy towards the end lol. You'll see what I mean when you read it hehe. This fanfic I write has no fighting in it, no complicated politics or anything like that. I'd prefer it if you'd have finished Final Fantasy 9 before reading this fic as it could lead to some spoilers. But that is the risk you take if you havent finished Final Fantasy 9. If you're not so picky about spoilers then read it. It doesnt reveal any major plot points in the game. A lot of this is made up from my crazy imagination (those who go to the staffroom at FS will know how crazy I can be ^_^).  
  
Send all comments to sakura@fantasysquare.com  
  
***  
  
White. White light. Bright light. Sunlight. Laughter echoing. Children smiling the laughter echoing as they played. The sky. Darkness. Great Storm. Fear. Escape. Crashing through the storm. Helplessness. Fear. Death. Nothingness.  
  
Memories. Thats what all they were. Or were they the pains of a past sent to plague her in the present? No she was too young to have remembered Madain Sari. Or could she?  
  
Garnet rose from her throne. Had she become the queen that they all expected her to be? She still remembered the days when she was with Zidane. How she longed for those days again, the wind blowing through her hair and the friends she met and the bonds made that would last a lifetime. Memories she held onto close to her heart for the rest of her life. She had her doubts about being queen but with encouragement from everyone she believed that she could become as great as her late mother, Queen Brahne, but something was missing, "he" was missing. Was it false hope that Garnet was holding onto praying that he would be alive? She headed down the steps and towards the castle's moat. She watched the sunlight reflect off the blue and serene waters. She looked down at her reflection. Suddenly she felt lightheaded. "Oh no, not again.." her head began to hurt and she clutched onto it. She collapsed to the floor.  
  
"Why do you keep coming here?"  
  
"That's what I'd like to know"  
  
"Do you hang on hoping to find what isn't there?"  
  
"What isn't there?"  
  
"Why is it that you have these dreams....of a past long forgotten?"  
  
"Because...."  
  
"Forget about it! Forget about it all! Walk away and don't turn back. Bury everything and pretend it wasn't there."  
  
"I can't....."  
  
Bright sunlight bathed the barren plains of Madain Sari. A group of children were sitting around in a circle. Garnet thought "could this really possible, I always seem to get my memories in blurry fragments. Why is it so crystal clear now..."  
  
"Hey did you hear about Sarah?"  
  
Sarah?  
  
"Yeah I heard she was caught attempting to summon the forbidden one"  
  
Forbidden one...  
  
"No way! Why would she do a stupid thing like that?"  
  
"Who knows? She probably thought she was some high and mighty summoner who summon ANY Eidolon"  
  
"That Sarah is a weird one heh"  
  
"She's so weird...her mother is soo poor that it isn't funny haha"  
  
"I heard rumours her mother sells her "abilities" to raise her heheh"  
  
"What? Thats despicable! Selling her abilities as a summoner! She should be ashamed."  
  
"I wasn't talking about her summoning abilities, stupid."  
  
"Hahaha if you think the mother's bad wait till you hear about her dad!"  
  
"Her dads a so-called "adventurer". What do you expect? He ran away never to be seen again."  
  
"Sarah's stupid. Who does she think she is trying to summon the forbidden one?"  
  
"Look! Here she comes! Everyone scatter!"  
  
A young girl cries underneath a tree. Her face masked by the shadows Her tears fall to the ground like drops of rain, singeing the sunbaked plains. Garnet stood outside the shadow of the tree. "Who is this girl...."  
  
As Garnet tries to approach the little girl, she is suddenly pushed away. She tries to pull herself towards the girl but a mysterious force pushes her away. The force that pushes her away became stronger and soon she was trying to fight her way to the little girl. When she could fight no more she was whisked away into darkness.  
  
Doctor Tot looked on, watching Garnet breathe in and out as she lay on her bed. Her face expressionless. She was in one of those "dream sleeps" that she had been having since they returned to Alexandria. This one is particularly severe because before it only ever lasted 1 or 2 hours, this one has been stretching over half a day. Tot then heard a voice. A singing voice. A song he has heard before. Wondering where it was coming from he looked all around him before realising that the song was coming from Garnet. That beautiful song. It was never heard of anywhere else in the world. As Garnet hummed in her sleep, Doctor Tot's mind began to slip away. Slip away into a past where a young girl and her mother washed up on to the shores of Alexandria.  
  
"I....Is she alive?" the fisherman asked.  
  
"Only barely so...but...but..the mother is dead"  
  
"....."  
  
"When did you find them?"  
  
"I found them this morning when I was going to do a bit of fishing on the harbour....poor things...."  
  
"Well we must inform the king about it.."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
The fisherman hurried off to inform the king about Alexandria's new arrival. Doctor Tot shook his head as he cradled the young girl in his arms.  
  
"Poor child....you're so young and your mother..."  
  
He looked down  
  
"Your mother is in a better place now..."  
  
Doctor Tot took off the child's hood. His eyes widened and he gasped. He could scarce believe his eyes. The child was a splitting image of the late Princess Garnet who died a while ago. He noticed that there was a horn protruding through the child's hair. The horn shimmered in the light of the morning sun. The King and the Queen were soon over at the docks and were shocked at the child's resemblance to Princess Garnet.  
  
"How...is this possible?!" the King gasped.  
  
"I would say it's coincidence but even I could not believe that."  
  
"Oh my beautiful Garnet! You have returned to me!"  
  
Queen Brahne snatched the child away from Doctor Tot and cradled her in her arms. She looked up to the sky.  
  
"Fate has given me another chance!"  
  
She looked down as the child began to twitch her nose and her small eyes opened and stared at the large woman cradling her and stroking her hair.  
  
"But..But your majesty! Garnet died..."  
  
"GARNET DID NOT DIE! Don't lie to me Tot! She's right here!"  
  
With that, Queen Brahne rushed off to the castle holding the young child in her arms. The child being very much afraid of the large woman.  
  
"What shall we do your majesty?"  
  
"She still has not yet recovered from Garnet's passing..."  
  
"The mother...what do we do about her...?"  
  
"We must give her a proper burial..."  
  
"Yes your majesty..."  
  
After the burial for the Mother's grave, Dr Tot started stirring up the dust on the old books of Alexandria's library. He tirelessly searched for the answer to who and what the young child is. Finally he came across it. In an old book about the legendary summoners of a faraway place called Madain Sari. People who researched and experimented with powerful beasts called "Eidolons." The horn on their head allowed them to communicate with the Eidolons. Dr Tot pondered whether the young child was a summoner and if she was the kingdom should be very afraid. A girl with that kind of power can easily destroy Alexandria...  
  
"The King has called for you, Dr Tot"  
  
"He has? Why?"  
  
"He wants to discuss the matter surrounding the young girl you found earlier."  
  
"I see...."  
  
Dr Tot rushed to the throne room to see the King sitting next to his wife. The young child was in her arms dressed in clothes that once belonged to the late Princess Garnet.  
  
"Sire....you called for me?"  
  
"Yes I want you to do something about her horn, Tot.."  
  
"What would you like me to do about her horn?"  
  
"Remove it.."  
  
"Remove it?? We don't even understand how this horn works. How can we remove it?"  
  
"By chopping it off!" Brahne said bluntly.  
  
"A princess cannot go walking around with a horn on her head. People would ask questions."  
  
"But...but she's..."  
  
"Silence! You will remove her horn. Is that clear?"  
  
"Yes...your majesty."  
  
Oh how I regret that day. The day I heard her screams of pain. I researched so hard in ways of removing the horn without causing so much pain but....the pain was inevitable. She screamed so hard it pierced my soul. She wept and cried for days. She couldn't remember too much about her mother or even where she was from. She was alone. It took Garnet weeks to recover from the surgery. But when she did recover, she began to live like a princess. I was her mentor and she was a child brimming with curiousity. I tried to keep her abilities secret from the King and Queen but they found out eventually. Garnet however was afraid of the power within her. She was so afraid she locked the Eidolons away inside of her. Poor child. How I wish I braver back in those days....  
  
Dr Tot looked down at the sleeping Garnet. With sad eyes he shook his head. He went to the window of Garnet's chamber and looked out at the clear blue sky. Another perfect morning. He looked at Garnet once more before leaving her chamber.  
  
"Now you have grown into a strong and beautiful woman, Garnet...But underneath all of the beautiful clothes and imagery...you are still a summoner of Madain Sari and no one can take that power away from you...."  
  
I...I feel so alone....where am I? Am I dead? Am...Am I....  
  
Garnet was standing in the middle of darkness. In the middle of nothingness. When she waved in the air there was no reaction. Not even the small sigh of air that flows by after waving your arm. She screamed. Yet there was no sound.  
  
"Hahahahahahaha"  
  
What???  
  
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!"  
  
What...what's that? Laughter? What are you laughing at???  
  
"Oh beautiful jewel that befits a queen!"  
  
TAKE IT!  
  
"A jewel that only is fit for a queen!"  
  
STEAL IT!  
  
"Go on Sarah steal it! What are you waiting for?"  
  
I...I dont understand...  
  
"Of course you do. You're a criminal Sarah! You stole the Queen's jewel and happily wear it on your head! Before you were but a wretched girl in Madain Sari. Perhaps YOU plotted the boat into Alexandria and killed your mother! YOU took advantage of the queen and king of Alexandria with your resemblance to Garnet!"  
  
NO! NO! NO! Garnet clutched her head. I didnt plan for this! I didn't want to leave Madain Sari!  
  
"Oh yes you did. You wanted to run away. Away from all the children making fun of you. From the parents you are ashamed of, it's TRUE isnt it? You HATED Madain Sari! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!"  
  
The horrible laughter continued and wherever Garnet ran the twisted laughter was there waiting for her.  
  
"FRauD! HahAHhaHAhaHAha YoUr'E No QuEeN, SaRaH! YoU'LL ALwAyS bE a WrEtCheD, UnDesErvInG StReeT RaT oF MaDaIn SaRI"  
  
NO! NO! NO! NO!!!!! Garnet was in tears I loved mother!  
  
"Oh you loved her? Which mother are you talking about, Sarah? The wretched whore of Madain Sari? Or the Wicked Witch that ruled Alexandria and stole your Eidolons? HaHAhAhaHAhAhahHahA"  
  
The laughter echoed through the darkness. Through her ears. Her mind. Her soul. She felt so alone. So she did the thing she loved most when she was alone. Sing. Sing with all her heart. She sang so hard she drowned out the laughter in the darkness, she shut her eyes and clenched her fists. The song deep within her memories, her soul. Garnet felt a warmth throughout her body. An incredible strength. She opened her eyes. She was in front of a fire. As she looked around her, a room materialised around her and sitting across from the fire was a woman and a child. The fire illuminated the woman's face but the child was masked by shadows. Garnet looked on.  
  
"Mama....where's papa...?"  
  
"He....He's off on an adventure, sweetie..."  
  
"Will he ever come home..?"  
  
"I don't know...."  
  
"Why don't the kids like me?"  
  
"Don't ask too many questions, pumpkin, just try and go to sleep."  
  
"But I can't sleep mama..."  
  
"Hush..."  
  
Jane began to sing the song that was sung to her by her own mother. The sweet melody filled the room and Sarah, trying to fight the sleep in her eyes, finally succumbed to the song and the warmth and closed her eyes. Jane stopped singing and looked at the fire. She knew the answer to all of Sarah's questions but Jane herself didnt want to face them. It wasn't always like this. Jane was once a top summoner of Madain Sari and was voted to have the most promising future as a summoner. But all things changed when she fell in love. She first met Martin when he was staying in Madain Sari. The two of them seemed hit it off and she enjoyed talking to him about anything. But she soon began to have strong feelings towards him. Feelings she couldn't explain. Feelings she tried to push away When finally Martin poured his heart out to her they both embraced under the full moon. Martin kissed her passionately and no matter how hard she tried to push the feelings away she succumbed to Martin's warmth. They made love that night underneath the stars. It was the happiest time of Jane's life. While Martin was here she forgot all about her aspirations, her dreams, her eidolons. She only thought of him and their future. But the next morning Martin was gone. Jane searched Madain Sari for days looking for Martin but he disappeared. No one had seen him. Jane was so upset she ran to the nearest dark alley, collapsed onto the floor and cried. Her heart shattered, she felt alone and foolish. Foolish for thinking she had a future with Martin. Foolish for having feelings towards him. A few months later she found out she was pregnant. Being the stubborn woman she was she refused help from her parents. "It's MY daughter and I'll take care of her! I don't need help..." Throughout the time she took care of Sarah, Martin wrote her letters. Telling her about places that he's been and his weak excuses for leaving Madain Sari. Jane only ever wrote back once, to tell Martin that she was pregnant. Jane never regretted having Sarah. Sarah was the only reason why she was living. She loved her so much that it hurt.  
  
A terrible wind was blowing outside tonight. Jane dismissed it as nature having a bad day but the wind progressively became stronger and more powerful. Lightening was flashing and Thunder rolling. CRASH! Jane heard the crumbling of the building next door. Sarah was suddenly awake.  
  
"Mama! What's happening???"  
  
"Sarah...go get your coat!"  
  
Jane looked outside....a huge eye was poking through the clouds. The winds became incredibly violent and rain lashed her face. Madain Sari was in panic. Fire was spreading throughout the village. People were running  
  
and panicing. Sarah came back in her coat.  
  
"Come Sarah we have to leave Madain Sari!"  
  
"Leave? But where will we go?"  
  
Jane remembered Martin once talked about a place called Alexandria that lay south of Madain Sari, across the great ocean.  
  
"I know a place....south of Madain Sari....across the great ocean..."  
  
"But...but..."  
  
"Hush Sarah....we must hurry....the storm is tearing Madain Sari apart."  
  
Sarah quietly obeyed and holding her mama's hand they ran across Madain Sari to the port where a boat was tied to the pier. Jane lifted Sarah in before letting herself in and severing the rope using a knife that was concealed within her cloak and threw it away. Jane and Sarah sailed away watching the destruction of Madain Sari. Garnet stared at them as they sailed away. The scene soon faded into darkness as Garnet looked down at the water violently eating away the coast of Madain Sari. She soon found herself looking at the child underneath the tree. The child who's face was always masked by shadows. The shadow under the tree wasnt crying any more however....  
  
"Why do you keep coming here..."  
  
I don't know...  
  
"Stop. Start again. Why do you keep coming here..."  
  
I don't understand...  
  
"Stop. Start again. Why do you keep coming here..."  
  
I came to seek the answers. To seek the truth about my past. I was loved by Queen Brahne and the People of Alexandria as Princess Garnet. But did anyone know who I truly was? Perhaps they did....I was raised by people who taught me to act like a princess...does that mean they loved me? I believe they did....Steiner has protected me for so long and Dr Tot treats me like I was his own. Most of all I had love from my foster parents. I can never forget them....  
  
"Do you hang on hoping to find what isn't there?"  
  
It's not that it wasn't there. It's just that I never found it. The love of my real mother.....She always loved me and I never knew it. She sacrificed her life to save mine and I never had the chance to say Thank you....or even goodbye....  
  
Why do you have these dreams about a past long forgotten?  
  
Because....Because the past could never be forgotten. It will always be apart of me no matter how hard I try to hide it or forget it, it will be there to haunt me or to cheer me up when times are bad.  
  
"Forget about it! Forget about it all! Walk away and don't turn back. Bury everything and pretend it wasn't there."  
  
I can't.....because I am Garnet Sarah Til Alexandros 17th! The queen of Alexandria and a summoner of Madain Sari. Daughter of Jane and Brahne. I am not ashamed of my past. I am not ashamed of my parents. I will remember my mothers with a loving heart and they will be with me until the end.  
  
The girl stood up. She walked towards Garnet. The sunlight cast away the shadows that hid her. Garnet looked down. She was looking at herself. The memories of a childhood she tried to forget. Garnet held out her hand. The young girl held Garnet's hand.  
  
"They won't be with you until the end. They will be with you...Always..."  
  
The storm was vicious and the boat rocked and quaked. Jane held on to Sarah as she tried to steer the small boat south. South to where it was safe. Where Sarah would be safe. The rain was pounding her face like slabs of concrete smashing into her but she held on for dear life. She was being pounded from side to side. Her leg was broken and the visibility was poor. But she knew the end was coming when a giant wave came up from behind. She watched the wave with open eyes protecting Sarah and holding on to her as tightly as she could. The wave crashed on top of them and Jane felt the full force of the monstrous wave knocking her out.  
  
Garnet woke to find her mother by her said. She was hurt badly and unconcious.  
  
"Mama....MAMA!!!!" Garnet cried. "MAMAAAAAAAA!!!!"  
  
Garnet was in tears "Please don't leave me now....please....MAMA!!!" Jane opened her eyes and stroked her childs face. Garnet held her hand to her face and cried.  
  
"Sarah....You know I don't like it when I see you cry...."  
  
"Mama....please....your not going to die are you...?" Garnet knew the inevitable but she didn't care.  
  
"I...I never stopped loving you Sarah...even through the hard times my love for you kept my head above water and I thank you for that. For giving me the good memories....to make it through the bad times...."  
  
"Mama....what are you saying?"  
  
"Hush child...." Jane held Garnet closer to her, she began to sing...to calm her daughter and to make her passing less painful...  
  
Alone for a while I've been searching in the dark  
  
For traces of the love you left inside my lonely heart  
  
To weave by picking up the pieces that remain  
  
Melodies of life-love's lost refrain  
  
Our paths they did cross though I cannot say just why  
  
We met, we left, we held on fast and then we said goodbye.  
  
And who'll hear the echoes of stories never told?  
  
Let them ring out loud, till they unfold  
  
In my dearest memories, I see you reaching out for me  
  
Though your gone, I still believe you can call out my name  
  
A voice from the past, joining yours and mine  
  
Adding up the layers of harmony.  
  
And so it goes on and on  
  
Melodies of Life  
  
To the sky, beyond the flying birds.  
  
Forever and beyond  
  
So far and away, see the bird as it flys by  
  
Riding through the shadows of the clouds up in the sky  
  
I lay my memories and dreams upon those wings  
  
Leave them now and see what tomorrow brings.  
  
In my dearest memories, do you remember loving me?  
  
Was it fate, that brought us close and now leaves me behind?  
  
A voice from the past, joining yours and mine  
  
Adding up the layers of harmony.  
  
And so it goes on and on  
  
Melodies of Life  
  
To the sky, beyond the flying birds.  
  
Forever and beyond  
  
If I should leave this lonely world behind  
  
Your voice will still remember our melody  
  
Now I know we'll carry on  
  
Melodies of Life  
  
Can circle round and grow deep in our hearts  
  
As long as we...remember....  
  
Jane died holding Garnet close to herself. She knew her daughter would have a good life in Alexandria and that she would be a strong and beautiful woman. She died knowing that.  
  
Garnet woke suddenly. She was breathless. Her hands were sweaty and her hair was messed up and tangled. She lifted herself up from her bed. She looked outside her window and opened it. Alexandria at sunset was a beautiful sight and she looked down at the pier. The calm water brushing against the land. Dr Tot stood at the doorway.  
  
"Ahem....Your majesty..."  
  
"Please...call me....Garnet....or Sarah...it does not matter to me..."  
  
"Sarah?"  
  
"Yes Tot, Sarah..."  
  
Tot was confused but he was adamant that he would do this for Garnet's sake.  
  
"It...It's time I showed you something...my liege..."  
  
Tot took her outside Alexandria to a hill overlooking the castle and the town. Garnet instantly knew where she was being taken to. A large statue was on the hilltop. The statue of an Angel holding a young child close to her. Garnet collapsed to her knees and wept. Tot watched. He knew he needn't say a word. Garnet already knew. From that moment the dreams stopped occuring and Garnet commissioned major renovations to the already destroyed castle and the town. She commissioned a grand school where everyone received an education regardless of whether they were poor or rich. Alexandria bloomed into a beautiful town once more and the castle was even more beautiful than ever. She was proud of her achievements but still...something was missing...."he" was missing...  
  
It was time again for the Tantalus to put on a grand show, again performing "I want to be your canary." Garnet was happy because everyone was coming. Eiko, Freya, Vivi's sons, Quina and even Amarant. Garnet knew she had to move on. She hoped that he would be alive but with no word for so long, Garnet had her doubts. She brushed aside her feelings and watched the show for the first time as the queen of Alexandria. Her past now behind her, she can face the future with a happy face and a become the Queen she was destined to become.  
  
***  
  
Comments? Questions? Threatening letters? Send them all to sakura@fantasysquare.com  
  
(P.S. Send all the above EXCEPT the threatening letters please ^_^) 


End file.
